Paper-cabinet.



J. WELSH.

PAPER CABINET,

APPLICATION FILED 001 .15, 1909.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

J. WELSH.

PAPER CABINET.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

3 SHEBTSBHEET 2.

7? Jenzor/ W J. WELSH.

PAPER CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.15, 1909 Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHBET 3.

are 1 rrrcn PAPER-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Application filed October 15, 1909. Serial No. 522,754.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joi-IN VVnLsrI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Green Bay, in the county of Brown and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a dispensing cabinet from which sheets of tissue paper may be fed from a pile one at a time.

A particular advantage of the structure hereinafter described and claimed resides in the fact that the mechanism is of such construction that it operates upon a pile of loose sheets unattached by a wire or otherwise, thus obviating the necessity of perforating the paper or securing the sheets together by means of a wire or otherwise.

A further object resides in the fact that the sheets are held in inclined position, thereby rendering it possible to reduce the depth of the cabinet. The cabinet may be made of any capacity by increasing its height, and without increasing the distance which it projects from the wall to which it is attached.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a front View of my improved cabinet. Fig. 2 is a view in sectional elevation, taken upon a plane extending from front to back of the cabinet or case. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a weight which may be employed upon the top of the pile of sheets. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views, showing the action of the friction roller upon a sheet of paper in delivering the same from the cabinet. Fig. 8 is a perspective view partially broken away, showing the cabinet arranged to deliver the paper toward the wall to which the cabinet is attached, this arrangement being the opposite to that illustrated in the preceding views. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing a pawl for actuating the friction roll.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the device comprises an outer casing preferably constructed of sheet metal, the back wall 1 being adapted to lie against and be secured to the wall. Near its lower end the back wall slopes forwardly at 2, forming an inclined bottom which terminates adjacent a friction roll 3 journaled upon a shaft 4 having bearings in the side walls 5 of the casing. prefer to carry the wall 2 forwardly to a point somewhat less than ninety degrees removed from a line extending from the center of the friction roll perpendicular to the planes of the sheets of paper, but of course the precise proportions of these parts can be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the principle of my invention. The lower part of the front of the casing consists of a fixed wall 7, which may slope downwardly and inwardly toward the friction roll 3, as illustrated. The upper portion 6 of the front wall is formed in one piece with, or made rigid with, the top 7, and the combined front and top 6-? is hinged at 8 to the lower part 7 of the front, in order to permit the cabinet to be opened for the purpose of loading it. Any convenient means may be used for locking the cabinet closed, such means not being illustrated as they form no part of my invention.

The depth of the cabinet from the front wall 6 to the rear wall 1 is such that the pile of sheets of tissue paper 9 are held in inclined position, as illustrated in Fig. 2. By reason of the position of the pile of paper, the depth of the cabinet and the distance which it projects from the wall are reduced to a minimum and at the same time the capacity of the cabinet can be increased by increasing its height, but without causing it to project farther from the wall. hen the paper is inserted in the cabinet as illustrated in Fig. 2, the upper end of the pile rests against the front wall. Adjacent the lower end of the pile it rests upon the friction roller 3 and the lower edges of the sheets abut against the inclined wall 2 and the rear wall 1. A weight 10, consisting of a piece of sheet metal of approximately the dimensions of the sheets of paper, may be used to assist in moving the sheets downwardly. The weight 10 may be held in proper position by means of an arm 11, the end of which abuts against and slides upon the face of the rear wall 1.

The friction roll 3 may be rotated by means of a knob 12 upon the projecting end of the shaft 4. In order, however, to render it more difiicult to rapidly withdraw a large number of sheets from the cabinet, the knob 12 may be dispensed with and a slot 13 cut in the lower part 7 of the front wall opposite the friction roll 3. The slot 13 is of suflicient size to permit the finger to be inserted therethrough for the purpose of rotating the roll by frictional contact. Another means of imparting intermittent rotation to the roll is illustrated in Fig. 9, in which a spring pawl 14: is illustrated as engaging a ratchet 15 upon the friction roll. 3. The pawl 1 1 has hearings in openings in the casing 7 and in a bracket 16 secured to the inside thereof. A spring 17 hearing against the shoulder 18 at one end and at the other end against the bracket 16 serves to hold the pawl normally in outward position. Pressure upon knob 20 fixed to the outer end of the pawl 14: serves to impart rotation to the friction rolls 3. The pawl 1a comprises a pivoted tooth 14; held against the ratchet by a spring 40.

The various stages in the operation of delivering a sheet of paper from the cabinet are illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 Upon rotating the friction roll 3 in the direction indicated by the arrow, the lower sheet of the pile is drawn downwardly. The downward movement of the sheet, however, is retarded by reason of the fact that its lower edge abuts against the inclined lower wall 2. The sheet, therefore, is compelled to fold or buckle at the point designated by the reference numeral 21. As the movement of the roller continues the projecting fold 21 moves away from the remainder of the sheets in the pile, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, and, finally, as a result of this action the lower edge of the sheet is drawn beyond the lower edge of the inclined wall 2, whereupon the lower edge of the sheet springs outward to the position shown in Fig. 7, in which position the sheet may be grasped and drawn completely out of the cabinet.

In order to effect the series of operations above described, the lower inclined wall 2 must present such an angle to the plane of the sheets of paper as to arrest the lower edge of the sheet at the beginning of the paper feeding movement. This angle can easily be ascertained by trial, and I have found that the angle illustrated in the drawings is suitable for the purpose, although it will be obvious that this angle may be varied within considerable limits. I have found that the mechanism above described results in a positive feeding movement of one sheet at a time, and accomplishes this purpose with a pile of loose sheets in the position illustrated. The mechanism, therefore, possesses the advantage of delivering the paper from a very thin cabinet and at the same time obviates the necessity of attaching the sheets together, of perforating them, or otherwise specially preparing them for the machine. A further advantage is that the cabinet may be re-loaded when partially emptied, thus rendering it easy to keep a suflicient supply within the cabinet at all times.

It will be obvious that I have used the terms front and back in a relative sense only, and that the cabinet can be arranged to have the side corresponding to that lettered 6 in Fig. 2 attached to the wall. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 8. In the construction illustrated in that view, the rear wall 30 is designed to be secured to the wall and the cabinet is provided with a 'stationary front 31 and a hinged top 32. A

removable glass panel 33 may be set in the front wall 31. In the present instance I have shown the glass 33 slidably engaging guides 35 upon the inside of the wall 31. The glass panel 33 renders the interior of the cabinet visible for the purpose of observing whether it contains sufficient paper. In re-loading the cabinet the cover 32 is unlocked and raised and the glass panel 33 removed by sliding it upward. The pile of paper is then placed inside of the cabinet, the opening left by the removal of the panel 33 permitting the manipulator to retain hold on the paper until it is lowered nearly to the bottom of the cabinet.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a casing of such depth as to hold the sheets of paper used therein in an inclined position, a friction roll in the lower part of said casing in position to contact with the under side of the pile of sheets adjacent the lower edge thereof, said casing having an inclined lower wall against which the edges of the sheets abut, said wall terminating adjacent said roller, andbeing disposed at such an angle to the sheets of paper that as a sheet is impelled downwardly by the rotation of said friction roll its edge is arrested and the sheet is buckled between the roll and the inclined lower wall.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing of such width as to hold the sheets of paper used therein in an inclined position, a friction roll in the lower part of said casing in position to contact with the under side of the pile of sheets adjacent the lower edge thereof, said casing having an inclined lower wall against which the-edges of the sheets abut, said wall terminating adjacent said roller, and being disposed at substantially a right angle to the planes of the sheets of paper, said inclined wall terminating adjacent said roll at a point less than ninety degrees from a line extending from the center of the friction roll normal to the planes of the sheets of paper.

3. In a device of the class described, a casing, and a friction roll at the lower end of said casing, said casing comprising an inclined lower wall adapted to guide a pile of loose sheets of paper against said roll and to cooperate with said roll in supporting said sheets, said wall being adapted to receive the abutting edges of said sheets at substantially right angles and to cause a buckling of the lowermost sheet when fed downwardly by said roll, said wall having an aperture through which the buckled sheet has free eXit.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing, and a friction roll at the lower end of said casing, said casing comprising an inclined lower wall adapted to receive the abutting edges of a pile of loose sheets resting upon said roll and said wall, said wall being adapted to cause buckling of the lower edge of one of said sheets When fed down wardly by said roll, said wall terminating adjacent said roll, said roll being spaced from said wall to permit the free exit of said buckled sheet.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing, a friction roll within the casing at its lower end, a pile of loose sheets of paper within the casing above said roll, said casing having an inclined lower wall adjacent to said roll and said pile of loose sheets of paper having its entire weight sustained by said roll and said inclined lower wall, each sheet of paper being longer than the transverse dimension of the casing, whereby the sheets are held in an inclined position.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

JOHN "WELSH.

Witnesses J OE MGCLELLAN, Jr., WILLIAM G. PAGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents. Washington, D. G. 

